Initiatives, Including Statewide ACT, Credited for Boost in College-Going Rate

“Providing all Coloradans with access to quality higher education programs is key to putting our fellow citizens on the road to successful and fulfilling careers. We’re proud to work with ACT to let our young people know that attending a college or university is within their grasp and an important choice for their future,” said Owens.

The 14 percent boost represents 2,797 more students who opted to enroll in one of Colorado’s postsecondary institutions directly upon graduation from a Colorado high school.

“We believe that a strong argument can be made that a 14 percent spike in the enrollment of Colorado’s graduates in Colorado’s postsecondary institutions from 2001 to 2002 can be attributed, at least in part, to the fact that the 2002 graduates contained 16,484 more ACT-tested students than the class of 2001, a 60 percent increase,” said Larry Erenberger, senior consultant with ACT.

Among the 2002 high school graduates in Colorado who first tested under the statewide ACT administration as juniors:

• 14 percent more students have enrolled in Colorado colleges this year
• All students gained access to a key component of the college-going process
• More minority students are attending college this year

Overall, more 2002 graduates in Colorado demonstrated a higher degree of academic readiness for fall 2002 college admission than 2001 graduates. Academic readiness is defined as scoring at 19 or above on the ACT Assessment, which has a top possible score of 36.

Skill levels at different score ranges are described in detail in ACT’s Standards for Transition^®. The Standards help students, parents, and teachers interpret results of the ACT Assessment. They are curriculum-based statements supported by research and closely aligned with Colorado Model State Content Standards. Designed to provide information to students, their parents, high schools, and postsecondary institutions, the Standards describe what students have learned within different score ranges and whether their skills are appropriate for entry-level postsecondary courses.

Colorado’s ACT scores for the class of 2002 indicated:

• A 31 percent overall increase in number of graduates prepared for college admission
• An 80 percent increase in American Indian/Alaskan graduates prepared for college admission
• A 22 percent increase in Hispanic graduates prepared for college admission
• A 25 percent increase in African American graduates prepared for college admission
• A 13 percent increase in graduates from lowest income quartile prepared for college admission

These gains are consistent with newly conducted research supporting successful P–16 education systems. The recently released ACT policy report, Creating Seamless Educational Transitions for Urban African American and Hispanic Students, examined the influences on postsecondary planning that students at five urban school districts have encountered and how such influences helped them develop and implement their plans for postsecondary education. Working with the Council of Great City Schools, researchers found that more than two-thirds of the students felt that the information from the ACT Assessment was very to somewhat helpful in postsecondary planning. They go on to recommend that, “Schools should systematically use test information to help students plan their high school curriculum, identify areas for improvement, consider career options, and plan for postsecondary education.”

By taking the ACT Assessment, students have been introduced to:

• Transition activities for post-high school planning
• Standards-based testing that tells what a student knows and is ready to learn next
• Information about the college-going process

“The Colorado Commission on Higher Education is committed to providing access to higher education to all Coloradans. Our partnership with ACT has helped us help kids see higher education as a real possibility,” said Tim Foster, executive director of the Colorado Commission on Higher Education.

For more information on the results achieved in Colorado, contact ACT’s Denver office at 303/337-3273.